


Three... Two... Stunned

by SandraSempra



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Boys Kissing, F/M, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, New Years, Party, Surprise Ending, unexpected
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 14:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13192482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandraSempra/pseuds/SandraSempra
Summary: Hermione is ready to make her move and seal the deal with a kiss at midnight. Only problem is... she can't find the man she is looking for!





	Three... Two... Stunned

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [ChampagneandCountdowns](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ChampagneandCountdowns) collection. 



> **Prompt:**  
>  The countdown for the new year is underway, but this main character’s planned midnight kiss is nowhere in sight! Will he/she find them in time? When he/she does find them, will they still want to start the new year against their lips? (A NYE party is not required, but the New Year gathering does need to take place.
> 
> Beta and alpha love to KR and VA (full pennames revealed after the comp) - Thank you so much ladies for helping me with my writer's block and the push needed to finish this!

* * *

 

 

Malfoy had really outdone himself. The perfect mixture of magical and muggle decorations elegantly placed about the main hall and drawing room of the manor were the epitome of class and wealth. Ribbons of silver and gold draped every door frame, staircase, and corner, reflecting off the large crystal chandeliers, giving the illusions of rainbows to dance off the shiny material. Hermione found herself rolling her eyes, her royal red cocktail dress, form fitting that it was, rode up as she moved across the room. It was an absolute nuisance, but Ginny insisted she wear something to finally _seal the deal_.

Her bravery battled for dominance as she nervously sipped at her cup, tugging the fabric of her dress down at the hem and flexing her shoulder in an attempt to find some sort of comfort in the blasted thing. It didn’t help.

Hermione would be lying, though, if she didn’t feel beautiful. Ginny had been a miracle worker with helping her prepare for this night. The amount of products and magic she used on her hair to have it lay flat and straight had been an event enough in itself, but the rouge on her cheeks hid the flush of embarrassment from the ongoing and longing stares she gained as she bit her ruby red lips.

She had definitely made an entrance to say the least, but through all of the eyes set upon her, none belonged to the man she had hoped for. They had been dancing around one another for months while setting up for this New Year’s celebration, neither truly able to take that next step towards something more than a blossomed and well comforted friendship. It baffled her - the wit he had been able to place on full display and he _still_ appeared oblivious to her minimal advances.

Hermione, the brightest witch of her age, could outperform _anyone_ when it came to paperwork or work assignments, but when it came to _playing the field_ so to speak, she fell short of her usual perfect O rating. If she was being honest, she’d be lucky enough to pass with an exceeding expectations.

But that was the thing, wasn’t it? Expectations. Hermione _expected_ her relationship to be perfect, another check mark in her book of accomplishments. A man as witty and intelligent in his own right but one who could keep up with her on every turn. She always felt it wasn’t an impossible goal, however, here she was - standing alone by the punch bowl with too much punch in her belly under a dress she could have bloody well painted on.

She was never desperate, though. She had many men, both wizard and muggle, who offered to show her off on his arm. They were just never _his_ arm. Hermione sighed at the thought of him and set down the crystal glass she had been sipping on. Tonight was the night she would finally take the initiative to take the next step. The move of all moves to truly express her feelings towards the man she had been in close proximity with continuously since the start of summer. This lioness would finally pounce.

She pushed her tongue over the front of her teeth in contemplation. The silent tick of the clock growing nearer and nearer to midnight had her stomach churning into knots. Holding her middle with a wave of nausea, she paused in her advance. _What if he rejected her?_ Shaking off the feeling of such rejection was futile, but she was determined reel her New Year in with a kiss. She vowed not to allow him any sort of objections on the matter: the clock would strike midnight, and she would plant her overly painted lips onto the man she had been pining over considerably for the better half of the year.

Hermione’s breath deepened, her hands grew clammy as she searched the crowd in the great hall only to realize it had been a waste of the precious final minutes of the current year - he was nowhere to be seen. No handsome smile flashed her way, no well placed joke to make her laugh. Panic began to rise in her throat, fear of missing her opportunity as she increased her pace towards the drawing room. She peered up at the clock as she exited the main hall - _only ten minutes remained_ . Surely he wouldn’t have left? Not after all this work they had put into getting the place set up the way it was. No, he was here, _somewhere_ , and she was bound to find him. _And soon_ .

* * *

_They were standing in the empty hall, just the two of them, as they swished and flicked their wands to place the ribbons. Hermione’s hair was as wild as the centaur’s spirit, and she blew the stray pieces from her face as she concentrated her wandwork to ensure the perfect placement of the decorations. He was across the room, entwining ribbons of his own around the banister of the stairwells when their eyes met. She flushed without warning, her face growing hot. She began to frantically tug her hair in an attempt to tame the strands down, her focus distracted from her task, and dropping the ribbons - they danced in their descent to the ground, slowly flowing with the freeness from the spell._

_He approached her side, his bright eyes beaming down into her swirling hazel gaze._

_“It’s not like you to muck up a levitation charm, Granger. Remember now - it’s levi **O** sa, not levios **A** ,” he gestured with his hand in a swish and flick motion, flashing her a wink as he went back to his work. Normally, Hermione loathed being teased, but she couldn’t help but grin sheepishly at the man’s back - his arms flexing as he worked his wand. Oh how she longed to know just how well he managed his wand behind closed doors.  
_

* * *

Hermione ducked behind a door in the drawing room that lead her to a corridor - accents of silver and green complimented the space, and though still intricate in style, it lacked the festive decorations where the party was being held. She bit her lip once more, chancing a look into the library first, then another room that appeared to be a small study of sorts.

With two empty rooms already behind her, Hermione placed her hand on the handle to the next door. She was about to enter when she heard muffled tones from the other side - _his_ tones - and her mouth curled into a wide smile. She adjusted her blasted dress again, and straightened her hair, pulling the long lengthed locks over her right shoulder as she straightened her posture. Ginny’s words rolled over continuously in her mind as she stood in the corridor, trying to control the frantic beating of her heart in her chest - _Don’t think, just go for it!_

Hermione closed her eyes and went for it - pushing open the door in one gallant fluid motion. Her lips parted, her eyes widening with every chime of the nearby clock sounding midnight. The sight before her was _nothing_ of what she had expected. Her plans fizzled like the remnants of the fireworks blasting outside, marking the beginning to a new year.

Draco Malfoy and Ronald Weasley stood huddled in the corner of the office. Ron’s ginger hair matched his fiery movements - his hands cupped firmly to Draco’s exposed arse, holding his thin, toned legs up over his arms as he thrusted into the blond. Hermione was glad she couldn’t see Ron’s face, disappointed enough with the sight of Draco’s lustful expression, who was biting his lip hard with every movement of Ron’s hips.

Their entwined bodies caught her off guard, her mind unprepared for what lay in front of her. She rummaged through her memories, desperate for any something - _any_ indication or sign she missed during her time with the man she now saw fully enthralled with another man.

She audibly gulped, her small form leaning against the wall of the door; her quiet sound drowned out by the grunting moans of Ron as his growing pleasure rose to new heights, matched only with the aroused groans of Draco. She couldn't move, her feet glued to the floor as if a victim to a sticking charm; her eyes locked on the two men who came together in one final blissful movement.

“Happy New Year, Draco.” Ron said as he leaned into Draco’s neck, kissing him softly over his flesh.

“Happy New Year-” Draco smirked back at him, slowly snaking his arms around Ron's neck when his eyes met coffee brown. “-Hermione!”

Ron jerked backward. “Hermione?!” He scoffed, clearly offended at the blond’s words, his back still to the door. “You've got to be-” He paused when he followed Draco's pointed finger, eyes growing shockingly wide.

“Hermione!?!” Ron said dropping Draco’s thighs and pulling up his pants quickly. Draco dropped to the floor, his bare arse hitting the marble with a hard _smack!_ He struggled to get up again, his legs entangled in his pants around his ankles as Ron began to rush to Hermione’s side.

Awkwardly, Hermione flushed red, finally able to flee. For once, she didn’t have an answer to the question that was asked of her. For the first time, she remained silent, rushing down the corridor. She could easily make out the sounds of two sets of scuffling feet behind her.

“Hermione wait!” Draco called, his voice cracking.

“Hermione! Happy New Year?”

Draco glared at Ron, who had nervously thrown his arms up at his proclamation to the brunette’s back as she walked away. Ron quickly dropped his hands again, a nervous lopsided grin spread across his face.

Hermione didn’t slow her pace, her mind slowly catching up to what she saw with every click of her heel. She wasn’t entirely sure _what_ she was feeling - a swirl of emotions clogged her mind as she turned a corner. The hall she turned down was a dead end, aside from a large stone door leading outside to a quaint garden. She pushed through the heavy door, finding a fountain in the center surrounded by hedges and large, potent flowers. The fountain welcomed her as she sat on the wide carved granite base, running her hand over the chilly water in the fountain’s pool.

She felt her eyes burn, but she couldn’t quite place the cause - was she disappointed or just cold? Details were something she rarely missed, which was part of the reason she thrived so well in sticky situations. This particular spot she was in left her speechless. Under the overcast sky, Hermione sat in silence, using the solitude to clear her mind of the miscalculations on the affections of the man she came to the party for - or lack thereof.

It was like a bludger to the head, the revelation warming the snow covered garden momentarily as Hermione’s eyes widened. Her lips curled upward, allowing a laugh to escape her; her hand fell onto her face. The embarrassment she felt began to dissolve, slowly, her small chortles morphing into full laughter - _finding amusement in the irony._ Her crush secretly involved with her ex, her best friend.

He’d been so attentive to her, never once looking in the direction of another woman while in her presence. At the time, she had always took it as though he was interested in her alone, his focus never faltering while engaged in conversation with her. The playful bantering, the comfort in the pleasantries. It all made sense to her now why Draco had asked about her plans, not to know what _she_ was doing, but who she was doing them _with_. His subtle comments on events only Ron would know otherwise.

She had been blind in seeing how Draco lingered near her office when Ron would come to lunch. And oblivious to the random elusiveness when she asked about either of their plans. It was a childish crush, one that made her regret all the more on her decision to wear this stupid red dress.

The door creaked, and she reluctantly peered up, not quite ready to face Draco or Ron on what she saw. Her face relaxed when she met not grey or even the blue of Ron’s, but green. Soft, alluring eyes she instantly found she couldn’t pull away from.

“Hermione? What are you doing out here all alone?”

Theo sat down next to her, her posture straightening on its own in response to his close proximity.

“Just enjoying the new year,” she lied, realizing how the cold air was influencing her flesh by raising goosebumps over her arms and legs. She crossed her arms under her chest, rubbing her palms over her skin.

She hadn’t noticed Theo holding a glass of champagne in each hand until he guided one into her view. Smiling, she accepted the glass with a half smile. Once his hand was free, Theo pulled his wand from his coat and casted a warming charm over them.

“Better?” His smile was genuine and affectious and the corners of her lips inclined fully.

“Much.”

“You look beautiful, by the way. Happy New Year.” Theo raised his glass and she gently tapped her own to his in a light _clink_. She knew she was blushing, but blamed the freshness of the warming charm instead.

“Thank you. I feel ridiculous,” she took a sip of her champagne then lowered her hand loosely over her lap. “So much for starting the New Year with a kiss.”  The disappointment was obvious in her tone, she knew, but she didn’t care. Though completely unhurt in the fact Draco chose her ex and not her, she didn’t go entirely unphased by what she saw.

“The night isn’t over yet,” Theo said, rising to his feet and taking her hand. Before she knew what was happening he had vanished their glasses and had her fully in his arms, his face merely inches from hers. Her breath hitched at the feel of his warm puffs of air from his mouth that was inching slowly towards hers. She didn’t stop him - once again finding herself stuck in place - only this time, she _wanted_ to see this, missing once again the signs.  
  
Once the feel of his lips brushed hers innocently, a jolt of warmth flowed through her, her mind releasing any and all remaining tension from the events that began her night. Her New Year was nothing what she thought it would be; she didn’t get her midnight smooch from Draco, but her kiss from Theo more than made up for that. For the first time that evening, she didn’t curse the thin, tight fabric of her dress as she felt Theo sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her closer, deepening and intensifying their kiss until she completely let go.  
  
The countdown to midnight had initially left her stunned. Now, she was struck in a completely _different_ way - counting down the seconds until they could be alone in his flat. It was a happy New Year after all.


End file.
